Martha Roskowski Promoted to Vice President at PeopleForBikes

Martha Roskowski, Director of the Green Lane Project at PeopleForBikes (formerly Bikes Belong), has been promoted to Vice President of Local Innovation, effective immediately. She will continue to serve as a member of PeopleForBikes’ senior management team that is working to make bicycling better for all Americans.

Roskowski joined PeopleForBikes in January 2012 and orchestrated the launch of the highly successful Green Lane Project that is spurring the development of protected bikeways in U.S. cities and towns, coast to coast. During these last two years, the number of separated and protected (from motor vehicle traffic) U.S. bike lanes has tripled, from 50 to more than 150. This infrastructure concept has been widely embraced as a cost-effective way to improve road safety for all users while making bicycling more appealing to a broader audience.

Roskowski’s long and successful career as a bicycling leader includes seven years as the founding executive director of Bicycle Colorado, three years in Washington, DC, as campaign director for America Bikes, and seven years as Director of GO Boulder—the Colorado city’s highly regarded transportation program that focuses on transit, bicycling and walking.

“Martha brings so much experience and knowledge to the PeopleForBikes effort,” said PeopleForBikes President Tim Blumenthal. “She’s been there, and done that, and she’s always thinking about new ways to improve bicycling for everyone. She is an excellent speaker and a respected innovator—and she’ll help guide us to even more tangible accomplishments in the coming years.”

“It’s an exciting time for bicycling and for PeopleForBikes. Powerful demographics and economic trends are pushing city leaders to embrace new approaches and ideas,” said Roskowski. “Increasingly, biking is seen as a practical, rational and strategic response to moving people efficiently for short trips, and for creating the kind of places where people want to live, work and shop. It’s been very gratifying helping city leaders to embrace the innovative designs that quickly transform their streets.”

Roskowski, assisted by Green Lane Project manager Zach Vanderkooy, will continue to guide the Green Lane Project as it enters its second phase in 2014. Six new focus cities will be selected and announced this spring, and all will benefit from the investment of expertise, grant funding, and guided study trips that the project provides.

As cities develop new, protected bike lanes—often in combination with bike-sharing systems—more people travel more often by bicycle and both the quality and safety of the bicycling experience improves. Protected bike lanes can also benefit adjacent businesses, as people on bikes tend to stop and shop more often than motorists.